WDCA hopes umpiring workshop brings more to officiate

The game can’t run without umpires, it’s as simple as that. As the 2026/27 Wangaratta and District Cricket Association season continues to heat up, calls are going out to the wider community calling for more people to put their hands up to umpire matches. The WDCA is hosting an information and training session for umpires on Sunday 22 November at the Wangaratta Showgrounds, and is the perfect opportunity to get into umpiring. WDCA umpire coordinator Peter Sheehan said the session would serve as a refresher for established umpires as well as a primer for those wanting to serve the game from the best seat in the house. “We’ll have one or two umpires from Cricket Victoria, they’ll actually be taking the session,” he said. “It’s just going over the rules, any clarification our umpires may need, anything which happened during the year they may need to talk about or clarify. “It’s a training opportunity, hopefully prospective umpires, those who are thinking about it can come along, get something out of it and want to become umpires.” Umpire numbers have contracted since last season, with just 14 officiators trying to serve the whole competition. Due to the reduced numbers, as well as alterations to how umpires are allocated games, not every senior match of cricket on a Saturday has an umpire, with the C grade competition unlikely to have an official umpire all season. “A grade has two umpires because it’s just too hard to umpire now on your own,” Sheehan said. “It’s too big a day, and as you would understand, A grade’s a little bit more fair dinkum, and something may arise where you need two [umpires] there.” “In B grade, all but one game – they have five games [per round] and we can only provide four umpires.” If the love of the game wasn’t enough to get you through the door, there’s also a significant financial incentive in umpiring in the WDCA. A grade umpires receive $160 per match, while officiating in B grade brings $200 for a single umpire. Sheehan said anyone who enjoys cricket should consider becoming an umpire. “The group’s getting older, so some new, younger ones would be great, we’d love some female umpires, that’d be fantastic as well, seeing as how we’re trying to get female cricket leagues going,” he said. “Their playing days might’ve finished and they still enjoy it and want to be part of the game, and you get paid to do it as well. “You have no responsibilities other than on game day, you don’t have to roll wickets or put wickets in the ground, you don’t have to worry about the ground being mowed and all that – you have to worry about if it’s up to scratch, which 99.9 per cent of them are anyway. “You keep your hand in cricket and meet other people, the club people, it makes it an enjoyable day. “I’ve been to a couple of umpire courses and conferences, and talking to umpires from other leagues, we’re actually one of the better paying associations in country Victoria. “We’d love to have an influx of younger umpires, but anyone who wants to umpire is more than welcome.” The WDCA’s umpire information session will be held in the Fischer Stand at the Wangaratta Showgrounds on Sunday 22 November from 10am-12pm. For more information or to register your interest in umpiring, contact Peter Sheehan on 0429 196 306.

WDCA hopes umpiring workshop brings more to officiate

Duff sparks hope but Hawks prevail

Thailand holiday goes down to the wire as club champions are crowned

Alwis tons up for Tigers; Lakers and Rovers too classy

Club championship finale this weekend in Beechworth

Hawks await after heavy defeat

Locals gain skills at CFA try out day

Nine-way battle for Benambra

Fire Danger Period set to begin in Wangaratta, most of North East

Digital Editions Archive - Regional Extra

Most popular stories